A simulator for objectively evaluating prospective drivers of the Scott van.

Abstract

A simple simulator for evaluating the physical capabilities of severely handicapped prospective drivers was developed and evaluated. The simulator presents a two-dimensional tracking task to be carried out using the driving controls of the Scott van, which is a uni-lever servo-controlled vehicle designed for the severely impaired. Twenty-five able-bodied subjects were tested on the simulator and 13 of them were then given driving tests in a Scott van. Simulator RMS tracking error and the number of traffic cones knocked down were the respective performance measures for these tests. Nine severely disabled subjects were then tested in the simulator and in driving tests in the van. In order to compare the simulator performances of the handicapped subjects with their driving performances, their performance scores were all converted to T-scores. The T-score transformed the performance of these subjects into scores having as a common reference the performances of the able-bodied subjects. Simulator T-scores for the handicapped subjects reflected large variations in their tracking abilities due to differences in their functional capabilities. Most importantly, in the authors' opinion, was the fact that the simulator T-scores of the handicapped subjects correlated very well with their driving performance T-scores. This type of simulator therefore appears to be a valuable tool for providing objective and quantitative data for evaluating severely handicapped prospective drivers.